Immunology and Infectious Disease Commons^™

The Impact Of Elevated Environmental Temperature On Cytokine Synthesis And Nitric Oxide Production During Experimental Chagas' Disease, L. Curtis Cary

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

C3H mice that have been infected with a Brazil strain of Trypanosoma cruzi and maintained at an elevated environmental temperature of 36°C survive an otherwise lethal infection. These mice show increased longevity and a dramatic increase in parasitemia levels. In contrast, C3H mice maintained at room temperature typically experience high parasitemia levels and die within 40 days of infection. Previous studies in the laboratory suggest cell-mediated immune responses rather than antibody-mediated responses are responsible for the enhances protection. The goal of the present study was to analyze cytokine synthesis and nitric oxide production in spleen cells from mice infected with …